Generations of Love: A Degrassi Reunion
by Blue Leah
Summary: COMPLETED! 10 year reunion of students attending Degrassi during the year 20052006. written during the 4th season. Follows Craig, Ashley, Dylan, Marco, Sean, Ellie, JT, Emma, Jimmy, Hazel, Paige, Spinner, Manny, Liberty, and Toby.
1. Prologue

  
  
A/N: I do not own the characters of Degrassi, but I do own the ones I have created. 

Prologue

27 year old Emma Nelson sat on the living room floor of her apartment with posters and fliers advertising some environmental campaign scattered around her feet, while talking on the phone.  
"I think I'm going to be busy on the 28th." Emma said, over the phone to her long time boyfriend, JT Yorke, while rifling through the fliers.  
"Emma," he whined. "You know, I love you. I just want to—"  
"Ohmigod, JT!" Emma interrupted, squealing like a schoolgirl. "That's our 10 year high school reunion!" She picked up the letter that must've gotten mixed in with the fliers and smiled.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: I do not own the characters of Degrassi, except for the ones I created! Thank you to all who sent in reviews.

"Here you go." Mr. Raditch, principal of Degrassi, opened the double doors leading into the newly remodeled gym.  
"Isn't it nice?" Jimmy Brooks walked in with a limp, breathing in the new gym smell. Physical therapy brought back the use of his legs, but it wasn't perfect, and he'd always have to use a cane.  
"Beautiful." Hazel, Jimmy's wife smiled for him, sitting on the bottom row of the bleachers. She knew he loved coaching basketball at Degrassi, but it pained her heart to see the way he missed playing. Her mind wandered to the horrible "accident" in grade 11.  
"I knew you'd love it." Mr. Raditch sat down next to Hazel.  
"I cannot wait until the season starts. The Panthers should be very solid this year." Jimmy joined them, putting his arm around his wife.  
"Especially with you as head coach." Mr. Raditch announced.  
"H-head coach?" Jimmy asked shocked. "I'm just the assistant coach."  
"Coach Brooks, I brought you here not just to show off the new gym, but to offer you the position of head coach. Coach Armstrong is leaving and since you are next in line, you become head coach." Mr. Raditch stood up. "I need to get back to my office. Are you fine with this?"  
"Thank you." Jimmy replied. He looked over the newly varnished floor. It was all his, well not really his, but he would have some control over it...he hoped.  
"Jimmy, I have to get back to work." Hazel kissed him quickly on the lips, standing up. Reaching for his hand, she helped him up. "Are you going to pick up the twins from daycare?" The twins were their four-year-old twin boy and girl, Jesse and Jenny.  
"Yes." Jimmy replied, reluctantly. He loved his kids, don't get him wrong, but whenever he had to pick them up it meant Hazel would be staying late at the office.

-----  
"Come _on_, Marco!" Dylan Michalchuk shouted up the stairs to his life partner, Marco Del Rossi. "Paige's plane will be there before we are if you don't--"  
"I'm right here." Marco bounded down the stairs, placing a black hat atop his head. Dylan gave Marco a kiss while grabbing the hat and tossing it up the stairs.  
"Hey!" Marco shouted, but before he could do anything, Dylan pulled him out the door.  
---  
"There she is!" Marco shouted waving his arms frantically, trying to flag Paige outside the crowded airport. "PAIGE!" He shouted. Dylan followed, feeling slightly embarrassed at the scene he thought Marco was creating, but quickly got over it once he saw his sister.  
Paige Michalchuk had moved to British Columbia, opening her own psychiatry practice upon graduating from college. All of the problems she had encountered during her days at Degrassi, she felt she was best suited.  
"How's my favorite hockey player?" She said getting wrapped in a big hug by her older brother, with Marco joining in on the side.  
"Good. How's my favorite sister?" Dylan looked at Paige, whom he hadn't seen in two years. She looked so serious, which was kind of unlike her.  
"_Busy._ It feels good to actually get away for a few weeks and it will definitely be worth it to see all our old buddies at the reunion."


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: I do not own the characters of Degrassi, except for the ones I create.

The characters not mentioned yet are coming up, so be patient.

"Hold steady, a little higher--OK, you got it!" Liberty Van Zandt said to Jack Simpson, Emma's younger brother, as he stood on a ladder hanging a sign in the foyer of Degrass Community School, that read "Welcome Degrassi Alumni".  
Liberty was in charge of the reunion and the day before it was to be held she had recruited Jack, Emma, JT, Angie Jeremiah, and Toby Isaacs to help her decorate the halls of Degrassi.  
"How long will you be in town?" Emma asked Toby as he carried a box of "junk" down the hall.  
"A few weeks. I'm helping Kate and my dad move."  
"If you need any help, JT and I are here."  
"I can't believe you two are dating." Toby had been away at school getting his ph.d so he had definitely been out of the loop.  
"JT and I have been together for a few years now." Emma replied grabbing stuff falling out of Toby's box.  
"I know, but I rarely see you any more so its still new to me." Emma looked at Toby. Toby had really grown up since high school. Wearing contacts, he had gotten kind of cute.  
"JT and I went to college together. We didn't know anybody else at first and we got closer. After graduation, we started dating."  
"Wow." He's so not your type." Toby had placed the box in a classroom and headed back out to get the other one. Emma dropped the stuff she was hold and ran after him.  
"What do you mean?"  
"You dated guys like Sean Cameron, not JT Yorke." Emma stopped. She hadn't thought about Sean in a long time. Last thing she knew he and his girlfriend, Ellie Nash, had broken up.  
"Hey, Toby, stop monopolizing my girl's time." JT walked inside the building with the other box. He thrust it into Toby's hands and grabbed Emma.  
"It's just too weird." Toby muttered.  
-----   
That same day while Dylan had a meeting with the general manager of his pro hockey team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Paige and Marco spent time together.  
Paige sat on the living room couch reading some patient files looking serious when Marco sat next to her. She put the files back in her briefcase and turned to Marco.  
"Hey, hun, what's up?" She had that smile that was undeniably Paige.   
"I just got off the phone and I have some _bad_ news." Marco said with sad eyes.  
"Marco, what is it? Is Dylan OK? Is it your parents?" Paige asked all of a sudden worried.  
"No, no, Dylan's fine and so are my parents, though I wish my dad would be more welcoming to me." Marco bit his bottom lip thinking about how his dad was not the most comfortable about his son being gay. "Dylan told you, we are trying to adopt?"  
"Vaguely." Paige grew interested. Being away in BC, she had become more involved in her own life than anyone else's.  
"We're trying to adopt a newborn. Dylan and I want to have kids and wwe think now is the best time to start."  
"Really? Oh, that's so sweet. You two will make great fathers."  
"Thank you."  
"Do you want a boy or a girl? Do you get to choose?" Paige rushed on, not letting Marco tell his news. Marco smiled past the glum look he had been wearing.  
"We don't get to choose, which is OK, since Dyl and I will be happy with whatever child is brought our way." Paige nodded. "But, the phone call was from the adoption agency. The woman we are working with, she is sixteen, has to sign some papers, so Dyl and I can become fathers, but it looks like she won't be signing." Marco's glum look returned. "We'll have to start all over again."   
"That just means you'll have to find another woman who's giving her baby up for adoption. Right, hun?"  
"Yes, but she has to approve of us. It could take months or years before we get proved again."  
"Oh, Marco."  
"This could've been our only shot at raising a family."  
"_Well_, you did say they didn't say she won't sign."  
"No, but they said it seems highly unlikely."  
"Keep your chin up, Marco. When will they definitely know?"   
"Tomorrow." Marco replied thinking about how that was also the date of the reunion. "Please, don't tell Dylan."


	4. Chapter 3

A/N:I do not own the characters of Degrassi.

Danielle: I am a she! It's funny you call me a shim. In school a few years ago, there actually was a guy in my English class named Shim. He was _very_ weird.

Why is everyone so hung up on Sean and Emma? I never thought they looked good together. I guess some people like the good girl with the bad girl type (though I think Sean is too good to be a _real_ bad boy). And no, I don't hate Sean. I think he's pretty cool.

After finishing decorating the school, the six of them, Liberty, JT, Emma, Toby, Angie, and Jack, decided to have dinner at the old hangout, The Dot.  
"Wow, remember the times we've spent here." JT said, opening the door for Emma. She looked up at the building before entering. Memories flooded her mind.  
"Angie, do the kids still hang out here?" Emma asked. Even though Angie was Craig Manning's younger sister, she reminded Emma more of Manny Santos in looks. But, she did act a bit like Craig.  
"Some do, but others are trying to convert a local coffee shop."  
JT pulled out a chair for Emma and was about to sit down next to her when he was pulled away.  
"Let the girls sit by themselves. I haven't spoken to you all day. All you ever do is hang by Emma." Toby said, getting JT to sit at another table. JT gave him a look, but reluctantly sat down.  
"She's so beautiful." He watched her brush her blonde hair away from her face and laugh at something Liberty said.  
"She's my _sister_." Jack said in disgust.  
"I could see myself with her forever." JT replied.  
--   
Why is everyone so surprised to see JT and I together?" Emma said to Liberty after their food had arrived. She picked up a fry and placed it in her mouth. "We have been friends most our lives. We've been together, just not _together_."  
"Yeah..." Liberty sighed. Once upon a time, she had a crush on JT, but that was long gone.  
"So, what's going on with you?" Emma asked. Sitting between the two girls, Angie's eyes darted back and forth, listening to the conversation, while eating her chicken sandwich.  
"After obtaining a degree in law, I am currently working at a prestigious law firm in downtown Toronto. Toby and I have stayed in touch since graduation, but unlike you and JT, we did not fall in love."

-----  
The following evening, Dylan drove Marco and Paige to Degrassi Community School for their reunion.  
"What's wrong, Marco?" Dylan asked getting out of the car. Marco shook his head. All day he thought about the phone call. He had been told that they would definitely get an answer today, but no phone call had been made. "Let's go inside." Dylan grabbed his man's hand and led him in where Paige had already headed. Marco passed the entrance table where he collected his and Dylan's nametags.  
"Thank you, Margo." Marco looked down at his nametag, noticing there was a "G" instead of a "C".  
"That's me, Margo Del Rossi." Marco was in the middle of a sigh when he heard someone call his name.  
"Marco!" He turned around in time to give Ellie Nash a hug. "So, how've you been?"  
"Good." Marco lied. Well, yeah, overall he'd been good, but he'd been stressing all day. He even managed to put his shoes on the wrong feet--twice. Dylan noticed, but he just figured it was because of the reunion.  
"I see you and Dylan are still together."  
"Yeah. When _was_ the last time we talked?" Marco asked leading Ellie and Dylan to a table.  
"I think it was six years ago at Ashley's wedding." Ellie replied.   
"Oh, yes, Dylan and I were fighting then. We broke up a month later, I think. Long story, but two years later, we got back together and have been happy ever since." Marco patted Dylan on the knee. He smiled.  
"Hey, I see one of my old hockey buddies. Do you mind if I go say hi?" Without waiting for an answer Dylan left.  
"Enough about me. Tell me how my favorite girl is.  
"I'm fine. Really, I'm fine." She replied, unconvincingly. "Sean and I break up on a yearly basis." She paused. "Right now, I'm living with him in Wasaga Beach." Ellie tried to make it sound like she was having fun, but she couldn't hide it. Marco looked around for Sean, finding him talking to Emma.  
"El, it's me," he looked down at his nametag. "Margo. You can tell me anything."  
"I'm fine. Honestly, I am." Ellie replied, not noticing Marco's joke.   
"OK, but if you ever need to talk, I'm right here."


	5. chapter 4

A/N: I do not own the Degrassi characters.

For all you impatient people, here you go!

Paige entered the building before Marco and Dylan. She grabbed her nametag and immediately scanned the room for someone she knew/wanted to visit with.  
"Hazel!" She ran up to Hazel, who was having a conversation with Heather Sinclaire.  
"Paige!" She squealed like a schoolgirl after they hugged. "How are you? I haven't seen you in five years."  
"Yeah, at Jimmy and your wedding. How is Jimmy?" When Hazel and Jimmy wed, Jimmy's spine was beginning to heal.

"A lot better. You know he's walking now." Paige nodded. "We've got twins now. 4 year olds, Jesse and Jenny." Hazel pulled out a picture. "By the way, Jimmy's teaching math here at Degrassi. Just this past week he was made head coach of the basketball team."   
"Congratulations. Is Raditch still here?"  
"Yes, although there is talk of his retirement." Hazel paused when she realized Paige had come in alone. "How are you?"  
"Fine." She said quickly. "After college, I moved to BC and opened my own psychiatry practice."  
"Mhm, Paige the Businesswoman." Paige turned around to see the person who spoke that.  
"Ohmigod, Ashley!" Paige said in a happy surprised tone. "Look at you! You're so big! When are you due?"  
"In a month." She crinkled her nose. "Can we sit down? I haven't been feeling too well all day. Craig insisted I stay home, but I was not about to miss my reunion, I don't care how big I am!" Paige grabbed them all seats when she saw him enter the room.   
"Spinner." she mouthed.

"I see you and Sean are talking." Craig said to Emma. Craig, a friend of the family's, had stayed in touch with Emma throughout the years. It was easy considering Emma's parents, Spike and Snake, and Craig's stepparents, Joey and Caitlin, were old friends themselves.   
"Yeah, we were _just_ talking. He's got Ellie and I have JT."   
"How are you and JT?" Craig had been so involved with Ashley and everything that he hadn't kept up with Emma these past months.   
"Great. I mean, I'm busy with work and it frustrates him, but..."  
"He still loves you and would do anything for you." Craig finished. Emma nodded smiling. She knew JT felt that way, but she felt bad making him feel that he had to feel that way. "By the way, where is JT?"  
"Um, I think he's hanging with Toby right now." Emma searched the room and found him doing exactly that. "I noticed you brought your camera." Craig looked down at the object hanging around his neck.  
"Yep...smile!" He clicked a picture of Emma holding a plastic cup of punch. "It's for the paper."  
"Cool. I, drinking punch, will be in the paper." Emma smiled as he took another shot.  
"Hey, it's Jimmy." Craig took a far away shot of Jimmy talking to one of his former basketball teammates, waving his cane around while speaking. He clicked a picture of Paige and Spinner. _Paige and Spinner?_ Continuing to look through the lense, he scanned the room, looking for something interesting to photograph, when he saw it. Slowly, he removed the camera, from his eye.  
"Craig."   
"Manny."


	6. Chapter 5

GOL:

A/N I do not own Degrassi, just the characters I create!   
Pinkitten: I'm not much a fan of Ashley, but after thinking about it, it just seems right to put Craig and Ashley together, since I think that's really how they're going to end up, despite how I feel about it. I want Craig and Manny over Craig and Ashley, but I believe that if Craig were a real person he would chose Ashley over Manny.   
Sethsduck17: I actually never thought of it that way. Interesting point.   
Thank you for all your reviews! I really appreciate them!

Something attracted Paige to Spinner and the next thing she knew she said hi.   
"Hi, Paige." Spinner said slowly. He reached for his nametag. "Gotta let the world know I'm Gavin." He chuckled nervously. Paige smiled. Spinner was her ex-boyfriend, her first true love. They hadn't seen each other since high school graduation.   
"Have you toured the school?" Paige shook her head. Spinner looked around the room, thinking it looked like an old high school dance. "What've you been up to?"   
"Oh, not much." She didn't feel like telling him about her practice. "I moved to British Columbia."   
"Yeah. Are you currently seeing anybody?" He asked bluntly.   
"No, it's hard getting a date when I'm so busy with work." Paige wrapped herself up in her work to hide the fact that she may be emotionally unavailable.   
"Yeah, same here." He sighed, looking down at the floor. "I was engaged to be married, but she broke it off last month. She went back to the guy she was dating before me, some French guy."   
"I'm sorry. I guess, they don't all work out."   
"No. I thought she was the one." He looked at Paige, her hair done up in a bun. Oh, she was beautiful. Oh, but she was in the past. "I shouldn't talk about my love life to my ex."   
"It's OK." She looked into Spinner's eyes. "Would you like to dance?".

Craig looked at Manny. Emma had been standing there, but when Craig went camera happy she went off to find JT. Manny had on a black leather mini skirt and a black halter top that made her look hot. She was the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen.   
"I love Ashley." He blurted out.   
"I know, I got the wedding invitation." Manny smiled a dazzling smile. Craig shook his head.   
"You didn't come."   
"Do you think its easy for me to see you get married? You're the only guy I've ever loved."   
"But, what about JT and Spinner and Europe...?"   
"They were just guys." She cut him off. "So, you did get the letters I sent you." Manny smiled. "Y-you never replied. I thought maybe you didn't get them."   
"I got them. I'm happy for you."   
"Yeah, that I'm a model in Europe."   
"That must be pretty awesome." Craig tried to lighten the mood.   
"It would be better if I had the one thing I always wanted." She said to herself.

JT reached for Emma's hand and pulled her onto the dance floor where surprisingly Paige and Sinner were slow dancing very close to each other.   
"I love you." JT whispered in Emma's ear.   
"I love you, too." Emma whispered back.   
Ashley and Jimmy sat at a table together watching everyone dance. Craig had asked Hazel to dance.   
"They look like they're having fun." Ashley observed.   
"Hey, Craig better not have too much fun with Hazel." Jimmy said in a joking manner. Ashely laughed.   
Manny, finished talking with Craig, just stood there. She knew she had completely lost the love of her life. She felt like crying, but didn't _want_ to. She thought coming to the reunion would be a good thing.   
"I do need to let go." She said aloud.   
"Of Craig, yeah." Manny looked to see Sean Cameron standing next to her. "Manny Santos, will you dance with me?" Manny smiled sweetly and allowed Sean to lead her to the dance floor.   
Marco stood up and took his favorite girl to the floor, after an approving nod from Dylan.   
"It's a good thing you did getting Sean to dance with Manny." Marco gently held Ellie's hands in his.   
"She looked upset and besides, he knew her from school, even if they weren't very close."   
"Ellie, how are you and Sean?"   
"We're normal. I don't know. I'm telling you the truth." Marco could see the pain in Ellie's eyes, so for the moment he didn't press any further.   
The song slowly came to an end. JT let go of Emma's hands, dug in his pants pocket for a small box. He bent down on one knee, opened the box, and asked,   
"Will you marry me?"   
Before Emma could respond, Ashley shouted,   
"It's time!"


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: I do not own Degrassi, but I do own the characters I create.  
I hope you enjoy this story and this chapter.

"Yeah, the reunion was fine." Marco overheard Hazel say over the phone to her mother. "Would you mind keeping the twins overnight? We're at the hospital...No, we're fine. Ashley, you remember her from high school, went into labor..."  
Marco turned his head. One of his good friends from high school was going to become a father and he wasn't. He couldn't help but be jealous.  
"Are you OK?" Dylan sat down on the couch in the waiting room, putting his arm around Marco.  
"Yeah, I guess I'm just nervous for Craig." Marco lied. He wasn't nervous for Craig. He was nervous for that phone call he hadn't received yet.  
--  
"Hey, Kate? Big news." Toby said over the phone to his dad's girlfriend and Ashley's mom. "Yes, we're at the hospital. OK." Toby placed his cell phone in his shirt pocket.  
"I asked her, Tobes, and I get no response." JT yapped. He yapped the entire ride to the hospital and yapped the entire time in the waiting room. "What if I don't get a response?"  
"You'll get a response." Toby looked at the frustrated JT. "Don't worry."  
Craig walked into the waiting room, pacing.  
"How's Ashley?" Paige asked. Craig stopped pacing and looked at her.  
"It's going to be a _long_ while. We understand if you all go home. We can call you when the baby's born."  
"No, Craig, we're your friends. We'll stick it out until the bitter end." Jimmy said. Craig gave him a weird look.  
"Have you called your parents yet?" Emma asked.  
"I called Kate." Toby spoke up.  
"Oh, shoot. I completely forgot about Joey and Caitlin." Craig said frazzled.  
"I'm on it." Emma said, dialing their number.  
"Thanks. Now, I have to get back to Ash."  
"I'm going to find a soda machine." Dylan stood up. "Do you want anything?" Marco shook his head. "Anybody?" They all said no.  
"Now, it's my turn to ask you if you're OK." Ellie took over Dylan's spot on the couch. The second she did that Marco's cell rang.  
"I'm sorry, El, I really have to take this." He looked at the caller ID, took a deep breath, and said, "Marco Del Rossi."  
Dylan grabbed his soda out of the machine, minding his own business, thinking about nothing but getting the soda can, and just about jumped out of his skin when someone behind him said hi.  
"Dylan, right?" Dylan nodded, looking at the pregnant 16 year old in the wheelchair (hospital policy). "How'd you find out so fast?" She asked at the same time as Dylan said,  
"So, I guess you decided to keep the baby."  
At that moment, Marco ran out of the waiting room, seeing nothing but Dylan.  
"WE GOT THE BABY! SHE SIGNED THE PAPERS AND IS AT--" He stopped when he saw the girl in front of him. "--the hospital right now." Dylan grabbed him in a big hug and gave him a kiss.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: I noticed after writing this chapter, I had Emma at the hospital. Just pretend I never said that and that It's really Toby who said he would call Caitlin and Joey.  
_lanakael: I got your review after I already uploaded this chapter and chapter 8, so starting with chapter 9 I will work on making my chapters longer._  
Does anyone have a problem with me not double spacing? I have a problem with me double spacing, but if my readers would rather me do that then I will oblige.**

Chapt. 7 Pt. 1  
"He proposed to you." Manny said to Emma back at Degrassi. Manny, Sean, Emma, and Liberty stayed behind while the rest of them went to the hospital.  
"Yeah..." Emma said slowly. The four of them were stuck cleaning up the gym. She walked around with a garbage bag cleaning up the junk off the tables.  
"Emma, you love JT, I know it." Liberty ran around sweeping the floor.  
"Yeah..." she said slowly again. Sean looked at her. She was his first _real_ love.  
"Emma." He whispered motioning for her to follow him. He took her to a secluded place. "Emma, I know you. Or at least I did once."  
"Sean..."  
"Emma, I know what was in your heart and I'm hoping to know again."  
"Sean, I'm with JT and you're with Ellie."  
"Emma, I'm not trying to get you with me. You're not in love with me. Have you made a decision on JT's proposal?" Emma looked at Sean.  
"I don't know. JT's a great guy. You wouldn't believe how romantic he is."  
"And you love him?"  
"Yes, I love him. He loves me."  
"So, it's settled. Let's get back before they think..."  
"No. It's not as simple as that." Emma pushed Sean back down.  
"Emma Nelson, you always liked to make things complicated."  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma shook her head. "I love JT, but I'm too busy with work."  
"You still running your environmental crusades?"  
"Kind of." Emma looked down at the ground and then back at Sean. "I always spend too much time working, what would I do to him when we get married?" Sean smiled.  
"Emma, you've already made your decision."  
She thought about it for a minute. "Yes, I have."

An hour had passed and Marco and Dylan were still chatting with Lydia, the 16 year old. She had two contractions during that time, but was still allowed to sit out in the hallway.  
"...So I wanted to keep the baby, but my parents won't let me. They're going to kick me out if I come from the hospital with it. I stopped trying to convince them today, so I went by the agency and signed the papers. You two will be able to give it a better life than I could ever dream of." Tears crept down her face.  
"I'll be right back. Our friends are probably wondering where we are." Marco stood up.  
"I'm still getting my soda." Dylan held his empty can in the air. Marco walked back into the waiting room. Toby sat there with hid dad. He assumed Ashley's mom was with Ashley. Jimmy and Hazel were sprawled over a bunch of chairs watching the TV. Jimmy's head rested on Hazel's chest, as she ran her fingers through his short hair. Paige and Spinner sat in a corner and were just talking. He smiled seeing those two together. He always thought Spinner and Paige looked good together, despite how they broke up. Very surprisingly, he saw Ellie and JT talking to each other. Not noticing until now, he realized Sean wasn't there. When Ellie noticed Marco she broke away.  
"Hey, where've you been?" Marco sat down away from JT. Ellie followed.  
"Ellie, for about a year, Dyl and I have decided we want kids. You didn'tknow that." He watched Ellie shake her head and smiled. "We so want to start a family. About two months ago, we got approved for this sixteen year old girl, but it took her until today to sign--to make it official _and_ to top if off, she is here tonight, in labor."  
Ellie sat there for a second absorbing all the information.  
"Congratulations, Papa Del Rossi." Ellie gave Marco a hug. "You are going to make a great father."


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: I really hope you are enjoying this story!  
I have this story rated PG--do you all think thats a good rating?  
_SkittlesStar25: Yes, Craig and Ashley do seem meant for each other, despite how I feel, so there's just no way I could write them apart in _this_ fic._**

"I don't know. She just ran out saying she knew the answer." Sean said to Manny after Emma left the gym.  
"Maybe she went to the hospital." Manny said romantically.  
"I'm going there to pick Ellie up. Would you two care to join me?"  
"No, thank you. I need to finish cleaning." That was an excuse. Liberty did not want to be anywhere near Emma and JT when Emma gives her answer.  
"I'll go." Manny said a little too perky.

The group was sprawled all over the waiting room. Kate, Ashley's mom, and Jeff, Toby's dad, were in the hospital cafeteria. They were growing listless when Emma walked in. Toby nudged JT, who had fallen asleep. Emma walked over to him, kneeling beside him.  
"I think I hear my dad calling me." Toby said looking for an excuse to leave. Wide awake, JT pulled Emma into the now vacant spot.  
"I thought a lot about your question." She said slowly. "I even discussed it with Sean."  
"Sean Cameron—your ex-boyfriend—your first love?"  
"Yeah, that'd be the one." She looked away. She knew JT didn't like hearing about Sean. Sometimes, he thought she still loved him, but she knew she didn't. "He was just being a friend." She replied after seeing the look on JT's face.  
"OK, you say he's just being a friend." JT repeated. Emma grabbed his hands.  
"Like I said, I thought a lot about your question." She repeated.  
_This is too soon. It can't be good._ JT thought to himself.  
"Don't look so worried. I have an answer." She snuck a peak into JT's front shirt pocket. "Um, you might want to get that out." She reached in, pulled out the jewelry box, and handed it to a bewildered looking JT. "My answer is yes." She finished slowly.  
"Yes? You said yes?" He jumped up. "That means…oh, wait, I have to do this." He bent down on one knee, opened the box, and placed the ring on Emma's left ring finger. He jumped up bringing her to her feet. "WE'RE ENGAGED!" JT shouted, grabbing Emma in a big kiss. The room exploded with applause.


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: Big Chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. To me, it seems kind of rushed, but I hope you all like it anyway.

Craig silently walked into the waiting room. He saw Emma and JT asleep, cuddled together. He noticed the shiny diamond on Emma's left hand. She must've said yes. He wondered why no one bothered to tell him. He saw that Sean was not with Ellie. He thought they were together, so he thought that weird. He decided to sit with the only two available people in the room.

"How's Ashley?" Marco asked. He and Ellie were sharing a bag of pretzels from the vending machine.

"She's asleep right now." Craig looked at his watch to see that it read 2:15 AM. "I wish she would hurry up and just have the baby."

"Why don't you get some sleep?" Ellie spoke. Craig did look like the epitome of an expecting father.

"Nah. I-I can't." Craig shook his head. "I need to be awake for the birth."

Marco was about to say something when Dylan ran into the room. He grabbed Marco by the hand, pulling him out. Ellie and Craig followed.

"Lydia's contractions are right on top of each other. She's going to have the baby NOW!" Craig wondered who Lydia was and why she got to be so lucky to have her baby now when his wife was moving very slowly.

Marco, being dragged by Dylan, entered the room to hear a panting Lydia. He noticed two nurses and a doctor.

"Only the father is allowed in here!" One the nurses said. Dylan and Marco looked at each other.

"They pant are both pant the father." Lydia said. The other nurse instructed her to breath in, out, hee, hee, hoo style.

While all this was going on, curious Craig, outside the door, decided to find out what was going on.

"Marco and Dylan applied at an adoption agency and a few months ago were approved to adopt a sixteen year old girl's baby. They just found out tonight that she signed the very last document, making it official. And of course, she's here tonight giving birth." Ellie smiled, looking at Craig, who had sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall, asleep. She sat down next to him.

"Push! Push!" the doctor ordered. Marco turned to see the baby crowning. He placed his hand over his mouth about to vomit. One of the nurses grabbed him before he fainted. She quickly went to the sink and got him a cup of water.

"Weak stomach?" She asked, while Marco sipped the water.

"Push!" the doctor said louder. Lydia's grip on Dylan's hand grew tighter. He thought to himself _I'm a hockey player, I know pain._ Lydia pushed with all her might.

"It's a girl!" Marco walked out of the bathroom the second he heard the baby's cries. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes on.


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you for all your reviews! They are greatly appreciated.**

Later in the morning, roughly around six o'clock, Marco stood outside the hospital nursery watching his little one sleep, while Dylan slept in the waiting room. He wondered how Dylan could sleep when their daughter was right there, so innocent and alive. The hospital had wrapped her in a white blanket and placed a pink bonnet on her head.

Once the baby was born, Marco called his parents. They came up immediately, spending an hour, before heading home to get some sleep. He could already tell his mother enjoyed the baby and his father? Well, his father was very nervous, but he figured that was because it was a little baby. He remembered stories his parents told him of how he was nervous around Marco as a baby. They called Dylan's parents, but they were out of town, so they couldn't exactly come visit.

"Isn't she precious?" Paige walked up to Marco. He smiled. "Have you come up with a name, yet?"

"Danielle Paige. Danielle is her birth mother's middle name and Paige, of course, is her favorite aunt." Marco looked at Paige, who was beaming.

"I like it. Little Dani. She's got your eyes, if that's even possible." Paige looked at the other babies in the nursery. "I feel bad for her mother."

"We offered her to visit whenever she wants, but she said it would be too painful. Once she gets out here she never wants to look back. How can you walk away from something so tiny and cute?"

"I think someone's in love." Paige joked. Of course, Marco was in love. He was in love with his daughter. He couldn't believe it. He was a father. Suddenly a terrible thought occurred.

"Paige, we don't have a room set up for Dani, not even a crib." Marco panicked. They weren't ready. He wasn't prepared. "I'm already turning out to be a terrible father."

"Calm down. You and Dylan are going to be great fathers. Dani's not coming home tomorrow, er, today, so you, Dylan, and I will go out and buy baby stuff."

"OK." Marco said aloud, but was thinking, _how can I leave Danielle?_ "So, what's going on with you and Spinner" He asked, changing the subject. "You two could so not stop talking." He said, sneaking peeks at Dani.

"Just reminiscing on old times." Paige looked down at the floor. Spinner was Spinner and there would always be an attraction. "He just recently broke off a year long engagement. He's not ready for another relationship."

"Not even with Paige, his first love?" Marco kidded.

"Nope, not even with me. I know, he cheated on me with Manny Santos, but I can't help feeling what I do. When there's something there, you just know it."

"I know." Marco thought back to the many fights he and Dylan had before they became life partners. "Was Spinner engaged to Manny?" He didn't know why he asked it, but he felt he needed to ask it.

"No." Paige giggled nervously. She _hated _talking about Spinner and Manny's relationship. "Her name was Sandra." She crinkled her nose. "Sounds old-30is. Too old for Spin." **(A/N: I don't think 30 is old)**. Marco laughed at Paige's jealousy.

"Did he say why they broke up?" Marco felt like he was prying, but another side of him _had_ to know. Paige was about to answer when Craig ran out of the hall and spotted the two.

"Call Joey—Ash is having the baby!"

Thirty minutes later, Joey, Caitlin, Jeff, and Kate say anxiously in the waiting room with all the old high school friends, now awake. Marco looked around wishing they'd been like this when Danielle was born. Oh, but they each woke up and saw her before she was placed in the nursery, so that was OK.

"Nervous?" Caitlin wrapped her arms around Joey, who was digging his fingernails into his blue jeans.

"I just remember what it was like when Angie was born." He smiled. "Can you believe _we're_ grandparents?"

"When did we get to be so old?" Caitlin joked.

Jimmy leaned against Hazel, thinking. His kids were four years old; Marco had a newborn daughter; and Craig's kid was on the way.

"When did we grow up?" He asked Hazel. She patted him on the shoulder and gave him a quick kiss.

Manny sat in a chair, alone, during all of this. OK, well, not alone. She had spent part of the night with Sean while Ellie spent her time with Marco. Sean was a great guy, she surmised. She could now see what Emma once saw in him.

"No, stop that! He's with Ellie." She said to herself.

"Push! Push!" The doctor ordered. Ashley wanted to yell that she was, but she didn't have any energy, since it was being used to push. She squeezed Craig's hand harder to be able to push harder. She thought she heard him scream, but she wasn't paying close enough attention.

Finally, she got to take a break. Having a baby was painful and hard work. She wondered why some women kept having baby after baby. Feeling another contraction coming up, she was ordered again to push, so she went back to pushing.

About ten minutes later, the waiting room was antsy.

"Yes, mom. It's what 7 o'clock? No, she hasn't. I'll call you." Hazel hung up her cell and looked down at Jimmy. He looked back up at her. "My mother, wondering when we're going to pick up the twins. Sometimes, I wonder if she actually likes taking care of them." Hazel shook her head.

"Next time we'll get my parents to watch them. They love Jesse and Jenny." Jimmy sat up, reaching for his cane, which had made its way under the couch (Jimmy and Hazel were the lucky ones to get the only couch in the room. That's what being handicapped will get you). "Excuse me, I have to talk to a man about a dog."

A few minutes later, when walking back in, Jimmy bumped into Craig.

"He's here!" Craig flopped down in the empty chair next to Emma and JT.

"Congratulations." Jimmy said, making his way back to Hazel.

"Jacob Christopher Manning has made his grand entrance into the world." Craig closed his eyes and then immediately opened them looking at Emma's ring. "Did you get engaged?"


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! **

"Ash, are you ready for some visitors?" Craig slowly walked into Ashley's hospital room. She smiled, nodding, which was a good thing since eight of them; Paige, Ellie, Hazel, Emma, Jimmy, JT, and Toby—a crowded fit—followed him inside.

"He is _so_ cute." Ellie walked over to the bed, looking at Jacob's face. "He looks a lot like you, Ashley."

"Are you sure?" Spinner got himself a close-up. "I think he looks more like Craig."

Before they could start arguing, Dylan walked in.

"Ashley, Marco has a surprise." Ashley looked up from her baby to the door where Marco entered carrying his baby, with a nurse waiting at the door.

"I'm confused. Marco has a baby?" She looked very confused.

"Her name is Danielle Paige Del Rossi Michalchuk. We adopted her yesterday." Dylan said, which confused Ashley even more. "We were approved a few months ago, but it was not until yesterday that the mother, Lydia, signed the last paper, and of course, last night she went into labor…"

"Jacob Christopher," Marco walked over to Ashley so they both could get a good look at each other's newborn. "Meet Danielle Paige." While both having brown hair and an olive complexion (do not ask me how they got to be so lucky), Dani had darker hair while Jake was tanner.

A few days had passed. Ellie and Sean had gone back to Wasaga Beach. Marco thought about how much fun he and Ellie had during her visit. He realized the most fun they had was when Ellie was not with Sean. He wished she would open up more about their relationship.

Standing in the newly decorated baby room (nursery, perhaps), Marco's thoughts turned to his daughter. Yesterday, before they picked up Danielle from the hospital, Paige took the two fathers shopping. They ended up buying all the essentials, especially clothes.

_"You can never have too many clothes." Paige had said._

Marco walked in closer to see his daughter asleep in the bassinet. Her little fingers, so tiny and fragile, he could not resist rubbing. She really was the most beautiful thing he ever saw.

"Dani, you are so lucky." He whispered to the sleeping baby. "Some children don't have any fathers at all, but you get two."

On the other side of the small town, Craig and Ashley were not having the same luck.

Sitting in a mahogany rocker, Ashley slowly allowed it to go back and forth, but her son, Jacob, still screamed at the top of his lungs.

"For such a little thing, he sure is loud." Craig said, walking into the room. Ashley gave him a _look_.

"You're not helping." She said aggravated.

"You want me to help?"

"Yeah, sure. Like you can do any better?" Slowly, Ashley handed Jacob to Craig, and to everyone's amazement, he stopped crying.

A pang of jealousy hit her, but Ashley did her best to hide it.

"Looks like you've found yourself a new job."

Paige ran out of the boys' room, where she had been on the phone. Passing Marco in Dani's room, she grabbed him to follow her downstairs.

"Oh, good." She said, finding Dylan in the living room. "Sit." She ordered Marco. "I just got off the phone with Spinner." Ever since the reunion she had been talking to him a lot. "We had a nice long talk and I decided to move back home."

**THE END.**


	13. Author's Note

**A/N:**

**Wow, I cannot believe this story is done. This is the first fan-fic I ever actually finished. But, then this was the first one I ever actually wrote with the intentions of letting other people read it!**

**I love this story. I hope you loved it as much as I did! While writing this story, I fell in love with the idea of Emma and JT together. At first, I was just doing it, because I have a silly notion that best friends belong together, but as I wrote more chapters with them together I started feeling it was a very cool idea of mine (not to brag) to get them together.**

**Marco and Dylan had a daughter. Craig and Ashley had a son. The intentions behind this are this. Marco and Dylan are boys so I thought it would be cute if they had a girl, because a girl is not a boy. I gave Craig and Ashley a boy, because I did not want their kid to be of the same gender as Marco and Dylan's. **

**I chose the name Jacob. I was thinking of this story and of Craig and Ashley having a son. I needed the name for the boy. I tried putting many names together with Craig's last name: Manning. I thought: the actor who played Craig's name is Jake—Jake Manning? Turn that into Jacob and viola! Jacob Manning.**

**I'm sorry the ending feels kind of short. The real reason for that is because I am working on a SEQUEL! There is so much left open that I _have_ to do a sequel. If there wasn't going to be a sequel, I would have made my ending much longer, but there would still be this open ended stuff. Yes, I could just leave it up to your imaginations, but this is _my_ fan-fic, so we're going to use _my_ imagination, although I can always use your inputs and ideas if you have any. I'm also sorry if the ending feels rushed. That is not my intentions, but somehow when I was writing it, I started to get a bad case of writer's block and figured, anything not mentioned in the end (totally accidental and not on purpose whatsoever) can be brought up in the sequel. If you have any questions, please ask so I can answer them in the sequel. I bet you wish I would stop referring to it as the sequel!**

**I'm not sure of the title of the sequel, yet, but be sure to look for it. You'll know it when you see it.**

**Thank you!**

**Blue Leah**


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